


Ask a Setter

by ideallyqualia



Series: OiKage [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Canon Universe, M/M, Middle School, Oikage Week, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-04
Updated: 2015-04-04
Packaged: 2018-03-21 05:25:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3679566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ideallyqualia/pseuds/ideallyqualia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kageyama really wants to learn how to serve. Oikawa doesn't really want to teach him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ask a Setter

**Author's Note:**

> For oikage week day 1: scarlet lily.
> 
> I wrote this after a game of maf with oikage.

Kageyama held his volleyball quietly, fingers stiff as he tilted his head. Oikawa kept ignoring what he was asking, and Oikawa segued so well that Kageyama almost got lost in what they were saying. He absentmindedly added his ball to the equipment cart, shifting to fidgeting with his hands now that they were empty.

"...So can you teach me how to serve?"

Oikawa glanced at their teammates slowly packing up and filtering out of the gym. "Practice ended, Tobio."

"But--"

"I'm tired. It's time for everyone to go home."    

Oikawa tried to walk away, his feet moving at a sudden pace that made Kageyama stare and tilt his head more. Kageyama took a couple small steps before breaking into a run.

"Can you teach it to me tomorrow?" he asked, leaning forward expectantly.

"It's going to get dark, soon, Tobio. Hurry up."

Oikawa scoffed a few times to himself, clipped huffs from his throat that Kageyama couldn't make sense of. Some of his teammates made that noise when they were irritated, but Oikawa didn't say he was mad. Kageyama wasn't doing anything wrong.

"Tomorrow?" he repeated.

Oikawa turned away from Kageyama to face Iwaizumi. "Iwa-chan, are you walking home now?" 

Iwaizumi leaned his head to eye Kageyama standing behind Oikawa. "Isn't he leaving?"

Kageyama brightened at the acknowlegement. "Oikawa was--" 

"Just leaving," Oikawa finished. "Come on, Iwa."

They headed out the door, and Iwaizumi glanced back to see Kageyama trailing them. Kageyama was too quiet for Oikawa to notice, his footsteps light and quick on the ground. Kageyama kept his hands at his sides as he walked, arms stretched out with small fists holding onto his sports bag.

"Hm? What is it?" Oikawa finally looked behind them, and he grimaced.

Kageyama stepped up to them when they paused. "Can I walk with you?"

"You're supposed to ask _before_. You can't just follow people and then act innocent about it!" Oikawa jerked his head away and took a step, but his movements halted when Iwaizumi grabbed his arm.

"You're turning onto the wrong street."

"Feh!" Oikawa stomped into another direction. "Go home, Tobio."

Kageyama didn't like his stomping. He stood there and looked at Oikawa's feet making heavy steps for a few moments. Oikawa was muttering something, but he was faced away and fading with his steps, so Kageyama couldn't hear. Kageyama continued walking when they were too far away to care about him behind them, and he turned on the streets they did until his route home split with theirs.

 

* * *

 

Kageyama approached him again before their next practice, stopping at a safe distance. Oikawa was practicing serves by himself, and Kageyama didn't want to interrupt. After a couple minutes, Oikawa dropped his arms and turned his head, a mild frown dulling his mouth. 

"I can't concentrate with you standing there. Move."

Kageyama stepped closer, but it was close enough for Oikawa to push his hand onto Kageyama's head.

"I meant move _away_."

Oikawa pushed harder, and Kageyama faltered back. He rubbed his hands over his head, and his eyes flickered up to Oikawa.

"Can you--"

"I'm busy here."

"Then can I watch?"

Oikawa angled his shoulders a little, turning from Kageyama to avert his eyes. Kageyama kept his distance, but he shuffled his feet until he could lock eyes with Oikawa again. 

"Tobio, get out of my way." Oikawa motioned at him with his hand.

Kageyama stepped away, but he returned with a volleyball in his hand. He picked up the one Oikawa served, and he walked up to Oikawa to hand it to him. 

Oikawa grabbed it from him, the sudden movement leaving Kageyama's hands empty in the air. "Now go away. I'm busy."

Kageyama dropped his hands slowly. After a minute of Oikawa's pointed stare, Kageyama dipped his head down. "Okay."

"Thank god." Oikawa bounced the ball on the floor a few times, waiting for Kageyama to back off.

Practice wasn't going to start yet for a few more minutes, so Kageyama retreated a few feet but he still watched. Oikawa quirked his mouth to the side in concentration, his hands raising the ball to eye level before he moved to jump. He spun the ball and threw it in the air, his legs bending and arm folding before swinging down to launch the ball.

Kageyama's eyes were wide. He bumped his hands together and tightened his shoulders, hiking them up a bit as he stared in silence. Oikawa made a few more serves, same swing in his arm and toss of the ball in the air before jumping.

"Can you teach me how to do your serve toss?" Kageyama asked from the sideline.

"I'm busy."

"La--"

"I'm going to be busy later. And tomorrow, too."

"What about the day after?"

"Stop asking me, and I'll think about it."

Kageyama didn't know how long he was supposed to go without asking Oikawa, but he thought it was enough that Oikawa said he'd think about it. Kageyama returned to preparing for the rest of practice, and he sat down to stretch. He spread his legs out and bent to reach for his feet, occasionally looking back up to see Oikawa. He couldn't touch his toes, and he ended up letting his arms hang in the air, halfheartedly extended out, until they just fell limp.

The speed of the ball, the angle of Oikawa's arm, height of his jump and rotation of his serve toss--Kageyama found it hard to keep track of all at once, so he shifted his eyes to alternate watching every part of the serve. His hands were flat on the floor between his legs as he watched, and it was such a casual posture for him that Kunimi paused to glance down at him.

"You should get up soon. Practice is going to start."

Kageyama slumped his shoulders before rising to his feet. "You're right, okay."

He trudged after Kunimi to where the rest of the team was standing. Oikawa stopped, too, so Kageyama didn't feel compelled to watch anymore. He took his place by Kunimi and Kindaichi for the start of practice.

 

* * *

    
"You were pretty quiet in practice today," Iwaizumi said. The gym was cleaned and packed now, and the coach was locking the door as they drifted outside. Iwaizumi slid his eyes to Oikawa.

"Oikawa told me not to ask him about--"

"He's always quiet," Oikawa said. "You just never notice."

Iwaizumi elbowed Oikawa in his side, and his yelp cut off the rest of his words.

"You were quiet because of Oikawa?" Iwaizumi asked. 

Kageyama nodded.

"Do you actually mean that you have _nothing else_ to talk about other than asking _me_ about serves?" Oikawa asked. He raised an arm to shield himself from anything else from Iwaizumi. 

Kageyama gathered his hands behind his back. "But it's volleyball practice. What else can we talk about?"

Oikawa grimaced, and a strangled groan escaped his throat. It almost sounded like he was gagging, but there wasn't any food around to choke on.

"Can't you think of something else to talk about, for once in your life?"

Iwaizumi pressed his hand to the side of his head. "Oikawa, just leave him alone."

Kageyama rubbed his hand into his chin. "Um, something else?" he echoed. "What about...what do you eat?"

"What do I eat? What kind of question is that?"

"What did you eat today?"

"I didn't ask you to be more specific. Just stop talking, Tobio." Oikawa groaned again and hooked his arm around Iwaizumi's. "Let's go now, before he follows one of us home."

Iwaizumi freed his arm to shove at Oikawa's shoulders. "Hurry up and go."

They bickered and pushed at each other as they tried walking away. Kageyama didn't find the fighting that interesting, so he turned and walked home alone.

 

* * *

 

Kageyama's silence didn't last long. He was asking Oikawa again about serves within a day. He clasped his hands behind his back and rocked back on his heels, the movement making his head dip down. 

"Can you teach me how to serve?"

Oikawa dropped his volleyball for an experimental bounce. It sprang back up to his hand. "No." 

"What about your serve toss?"

"That's the _same thing_ , Tobio. That's part of serving. I'm not stupid."

Kageyama's eyebrows wrinkled. "I didn't say you were stupid..."

Oikawa dribbled the volleyball for a few more moments, his mouth twisting and pinching. Kageyama was shifting his feet and readjusting his arms behind his back, his eyes large and bright, and Oikawa couldn't take the earnest attention.

"Go away, Tobio."

"But can--"

Oikawa's hands slipped, and the ball skidded away from him. He turned his head to Kageyama and sighed.

"You want to know what I ate today?" 

Kageyama blinked, the interest in his eyes clouding into confusion. "What?"

"I had an apple."

"...What?"

Oikawa pressed his hand into his mouth to keep himself from snorting. Kageyama looked so confused, nose scrunching up and eyes narrowed in thought. Oikawa thought that suited him better than staring so attentively.  

Kageyama didn't ask him again until practice ended. He followed Oikawa around afterward, quiet but still frowning and puffing his cheeks with knitted eyebrows.

"Can you teach me now?" he asked.

Oikawa groaned. "Can't you think of something else for  _once_? Ask me  _anything_ else."

"Anything…?"

Oikawa shoved a volleyball into the equipment cart. "Ask me to teach you one more time, and I won't do it at all."

Kageyama twisted his mouth to the side. "Can't you give me any advice?"

"I don't want to," Oikawa said, his voice dropping to a whine. Kageyama's small frown wasn't going away, though, and he wasn't moving.

"Do you do anything before practice?" Kageyama asked.

"What do you mean, do I do anything?"

"What do you do before practice?"

Oikawa arched an eyebrow. "Why are you asking?"

"Do you do anything special?"

"No?" Oikawa asked. He didn't understand what Kageyama was trying to ask, but it seemed like another poor attempt to get Oikawa to teach him.

Kageyama still wasn't leaving. Kageyama cocked his head, his mouth pressed together lightly. 

"Ugh." Oikawa rubbed his hand against his forehead. He muttered something, but Kageyama couldn't hear.

Kageyama bumped his hands together, eyes flitting up and down Oikawa hopefully. Oikawa's mouth was twisting, and he had his other hand squashed into his face. After a few moments, his hand moved to push at Kageyama's head. Kageyama ducked, but it was more from the touch than the force of it.

"Go home."

Kageyama opened his mouth to say something, but Oikawa turned away, his hand waving dismissively.

A few feet away, Kageyama heard Iwaizumi say, "Stop being mean to him, Oikawa."

"Mean?! He won't stop bothering me!"

Iwaizumi leaned in to talk, and judging from the sharp edge to his mouth, it was to scold him for something. Kageyama heard Oikawa give a low hiss. Iwaizumi shook his arm, but other than that, they didn't do anything aside from argue.

"Want to walk home with us today, Kageyama?" Kunimi asked. Kindaichi was standing next to him by the doorway, both of them looking at him idling behind Iwaizumi and Oikawa.

"I guess." Kageyama shrugged and walked around to join them, no longer interested in Iwaizumi and Oikawa's bickering.

"You talk to Oikawa a lot," Kunimi said as they walked. "Why?"

Kageyama rolled his lips together, his hands tightening around his backpack straps. "I really want him to teach me how to serve." 

Kindaichi coughed under his hand. It sounded too forced, and it made Kageyama turn his head at an expectant angle. "Is something wrong?"

Kindaichi shifted on his feet to say to Kunimi, "I don't think he just wants to learn."

Kageyama tilted his head further. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You like Oikawa, don't you?" Kunimi asked. His face didn't change, and he spoke without inflection.

"You think I like Oikawa?" Kageyama stiffened. "No I don't."

"Sure, whatever you say," Kindaichi muttered. He cleared his throat again, deliberately, and Kunimi bit his lip to keep himself from laughing out loud.

Kageyama shifted his eyes away with an eyebrow quirked. "I don't like him…" he mumbled.

 

* * *

 

"Oikawa--"

"No."

Kageyama's shoulders fell. "I didn't say anything."

Oikawa made to step around him, but Kageyama moved in front of him, mouth pursed in a quiet frown. His hands were clutching a volleyball, and his eyes flitted between the ball and Oikawa.

"Stop asking me."

"He's not saying anything," Iwaizumi said as he walked by. His head still turned to look at Oikawa as he passed.

"Iwa-chan, you're supposed to be on my side!" Oikawa's head followed Iwaizumi to return a glare, but he came back to Kageyama to squint at him. He crossed his arms and bent closer. "Will you ever give this up?"

Kageyama pulled the volleyball to his chest, his eyes wide. "Give up?"

"Stop asking me how to serve. I'm not going to teach you."

Kageyama's eyes remained bright and wide, not out of fear but just lack of reaction. He didn't know how to ask Oikawa now. 

Oikawa's narrowed eyes shifted into confusion. "What? What's wrong?"

Kageyama's hands tightened around his volleyball. If Oikawa wanted Kageyama to stop reminding him, then he actually didn't want to teach him. Kageyama's mouth pinched as he turned the ball over in his hands, eyes still on Oikawa.

Oikawa readjusted his feet, balancing his weight onto his other foot. "Stop that. Go play volleyball with Kindaichi and Kunimi."

Kageyama tipped his head to the side. Oikawa looked uncomfortable now, and he brushed his hand through his hair. He was normally calm or smiling with a confident air, but his mouth was pulled down in one corner.

"Tobio, go away," Oikawa said. He reached forward to remove the ball from Kageyama's hands, but Kageyama coiled his arms more around it.

Oikawa tried to walk away when he couldn't get Kageyama to stop staring, but Kageyama followed him. Kageyama leaned forward with the ball still in his arms, eyes less wide and attentive. Oikawa picked up his pace and headed for Iwaizumi, throwing his gaze over his shoulder repeatedly.  

"Iwa-chan, help me," he muttered. "Tobio's creeping me out."

Iwaizumi slid his eyes to Kageyama, looked back to Oikawa, then turned away to talk with another teammate.

"Iwa, you're such a…you're no help!"

Oikawa jerked his head away, arms crossing again and nose upturned. He twisted his head more when Kageyama made a small questioning noise.

"Leave me alone, Tobio."

Kageyama remembered the way Oikawa's voice rose and fell when he whined, especially when things weren't going his way. Kageyama decided to imitate that sound now, wordlessly, louder when Oikawa turned in the other direction. Oikawa clamped his hands over his ears.

"That's annoying! Make him stop!" Oikawa ducked his head and grimaced, but Kageyama was still staring, mouth and nose wrinkled. 

He stopped whining, since it tickled his throat and it seemed to make Oikawa upset. Kageyama's hands slouched, the ball lowered to his stomach.

"You know what? Fine," Oikawa said quickly. "I'll help you for a  _couple_ minutes, on an ordinary serve. And after that, stop bothering me."

Kageyama rose on his feet. "Really?!" he asked.

" _One time_ ," Oikawa reminded him. "I'm never going to help you again after this."

"Thank you! I won't ask again!" Kageyama nodded and shot his arms forward to hand him the ball, but it hit Oikawa in the stomach.

Oikawa yanked it from his hands. "I'll take this." He coughed and moved the ball to his side. "You better pay attention. I'm not going to repeat myself."

Kageyama held his hands behind his back. "I'll listen!"

Oikawa grumbled to himself. He didn't want to give any real information, but he didn't know how to lie about serving, since it would be obvious if something didn't work out. He sighed and ended up telling Kageyama a little about serving. Oikawa demonstrated a couple, and afterward, Kageyama tried his own.

"I suppose you're good at these things, for a beginner," Oikawa said in a huff. "Still not as good as me, though."

Kageyama rocked back on his feet. "I am?"

"For a  _beginner._ " Oikawa clicked his tongue and adjusted his hands to his other side to shield the ball from Kageyama. "Now leave." Oikawa lifted a hand to shoo him. "Go bother someone else."

Kageyama tensed a bit, excitedly, and he nodded. "Thank you," he said. "I'm going to go practice!"

"Good." Oikawa wiped a hand over his neck as he turned.

Kageyama stepped away to give Oikawa space, but he didn't start practicing right away. He stood silently near the ball cart, reaching for a volleyball with his eyes trained on Oikawa's movements. Oikawa crouched down to pick up a ball and test it in his hands, spinning it before tossing and jumping. It looked more fluid and controlled than Kageyama's ordinary serve, and Kageyama marveled at his arm swing.

"So this is a third year…" Kageyama mumbled to himself. 

"Kageyama, what are you looking at?" Kunimi asked. He turned his head to follow Kageyama's line of sight.

"I'm not looking at anything," Kageyama said. 

"You're such a liar." Kunimi shook his head and snorted.

"No I'm not."

"Yeah you are." Kunimi kept walking past him, and Kageyama was left to fumble with the volleyball he pulled into his hands. 

Kageyama didn't understand why it was embarrassing, but he felt he had to get defensive. He tightened his hold over the volleyball and frowned, biting his lip at the uncomfortably warm sensation prickling his neck and stomach. 

"I don't like him," Kageyama said quietly to himself.

**Author's Note:**

> (General A/N that exists at the end of all my fics): I find unsolicited concrit really rude, I'm not looking for any. Please don't tell me someone was OOC/something happened you didn't like/it's too short/etc. in any bookmarks or comments.


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